Pakistan anti-graft body collects proof of corruption worth trillions of rupees in Reko Diq project
Jun 11, 2021
Islamabad [Pakistan], June 11 : Pakistan's National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Thursday said it has collected proof of corruption worth trillions of rupees in the Reko Diq copper and gold mining project.
According to NAB, the suspects ruined national interest for their personal gains, which inflicted unmatched losses to the national exchequer, reported The News International.
The NAB has also filed references against 26 high functionaries of the Balochistan government in an accountability court, Quetta.
Reko Diq, located in Pakistan's southwestern province of Balochistan, is one of the world's biggest untapped copper and gold deposits. Development of the asset has been stalled for nearly a decade because of a long-running dispute.
According to an agreement signed in 1993 between the Tethyan Copper Company (TCC) and Balochistan government with the latter holding a 25 per cent stake in the project and TCC holding the remaining 75 per cent.
According to details, an agreement between the officers of Balochistan government and Balochistan Development Authority benefitted illegally to the Australian Company TCC.
The agreement was contrary to the national interest and to further benefit the suspects, the rules of Balochistan Mining Concession were amended frequently to benefit the TCC for billions of rupees, reported The News International.
Severe irregularities were detected in allotment of land and suspects got pecuniary benefits from this also and the suspects has confessed their crime. Startling revelations were come into fore after scrutiny of record and statements of approvers.
According to details, the representatives of TCC were involved in bribing government servants and getting illegal benefits and due to which the benefits of billions of rupees were wasted, reported The News International.
